Cops and Robbers
by Tif S
Summary: Nonmagic AU: Detective August Booth doesn't know what to think when he meets Henry Swan in the park one afternoon. He doesn't know what to think when he finds this same boy's file crossing his desk the following day. The boy is in danger and it is August's job to protect him... and his family, but how do you protect those who don't want protection? Features all main characters.


_**A/N: Hi all, here with a new story. I really wanted to try my hand at a bit of a crime, bit of a mystery. The one thing that makes this different is that there is no magic and no curse. This is a relatively normal story in the real world, well as real as Storybrooke Maine could be anyway. One warning, there will be violent themes in this story, being a crime story, nothing too graphic I hope, but the violence that is present will be relatively real world so high T. Slighter warning, this story could possibly become Wooden Swan (I'm undecided and could be persuaded). But there will be plenty of Wooden Believer bonding, so if you like that then you should definitely like this. I hope you enjoy this introductory chapter.**_

* * *

 **Chapter One**

The anger propelled him into the autumn air. August couldn't say what it was about Scarlett that got under his skin, but of course that would be lying. Lying never sat well with him, and that's why he had to leave, before he said something else that would get him fired. The man was a twat. August shook his head, no that was much too tame. William Scarlett was an _ass_. He'd grinned, he'd bore it, but abandoning the case? That had been what had done it.

Of course, Scarlett was off his horse half the time. No one had really paid much mind, until the robberies. There was something about this particular case that had their whole department stumped. Small robberies, petty crimes, all through the Maine area.

" _You're just going to shelf it?"_

" _We can't get anyone who's got a proper look. And they ain't hurting anyone anyhow. The local departments can 'andle it."_

" _What's it gonna take huh? Someone dead? These guys are jumpers, and they don't just steal candy."_

To make matters worse, the captain had agreed with Scarlett, had been the one that suggested he end his shift early.

" _Look, I get it. You want to help, but we don't have enough on these guys. Without security footage…" Jefferson Maddox shrugged patting the man on the shoulder._

 _August could do little but stare with his jaw set._

 _The Captain continued. "You've still got the nobility complex Booth. Admirable but...can't be blind to the facts. It's out of our hands."_

It was of little surprise to August that he ended up at the park across the street from the bus stop. He'd come here everyday after work for the past four years. It was comforting...in its own sort of way. There was a children's playground, a series of benches where mothers and the occasional father would watch them at play, and further off under a tree, a bench that looked out towards the bus stop. That bench was where August made his home. He always got his best work done at the bench, never at his apartment three stops away or at his desk at the station. Strange? It didn't escape him that it was, but he couldn't bring himself to care, only to muse that the mothers must think him so, and if he wasn't carrying a badge, he'd probably be carted off by someone else who wore one.

It was in his job description to notice oddities, in people and routine, so when he noticed the latest group of people coming off the bus, one in particular caught his eye. A child, a boy, not quite old enough it seemed to be traveling by bus on his own. He was probably ten, twelve, not quite a teenager, and there was no one grabbing his hand to help him off the steps, no one waiting at the stop to meet him. The boy was alone, and there was something in his breathing. He was afraid, and trying desperately not to be.

* * *

 _ **A/N: Alright so if you read the description, it shouldn't come as much of a surprise who the boy is, so that is not what I'm going to leave you with. Instead, I am going to ask you this: Have you read any awesome Once Upon a time fanfictions lately? What is your favorite dynamic to write about/read, any dynamics that you feel are lacking in the show? Why do you like them? Next chapter: Henry's point of view as we find out what happened prior to him getting off the bus, and Henry and August meet.**_


End file.
